


only wanna be with you

by haljordans



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: CW Hal, M/M, Slow Build, but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-12
Updated: 2015-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-25 08:17:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4953064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/haljordans/pseuds/haljordans
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Flash has never needed to interfere with the happenings of Coast City-helping the Green Arrow in Star City has always been more of his thing. But when Coast City starts to appear on the news, along with appearances of a strange green glowing hero, Barry decides it's time to check out the situation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	only wanna be with you

**Author's Note:**

> Set after The Flash 2.01 and Arrow 4.01, minor spoilers. Includes slight references from The Flash Annual #2.

 Barry woke up to the sound of his phone beeping loudly, the screen dull compared to the blinding sunlight making its way past thick grey curtains. He groaned, lifting his head up from his pillow and letting it fall back down before finally letting curiosity get the best of him and check his phone. 

' _sleepyhead waake up its noon'_ A text from Iris said, punctuated with an emoji that Barry was 99.9% sure meant she was frustrated. 

One from Caitlin was a bit more direct. ' _Barry, could you come down to STAR Labs?_ ' 

Quickly, Barry replied to each and then zipped into a pair of skinny jeans and his navy STAR Labs sweatshirt, giving himself a cheery thumbs-up in the mirror after combing his soft brown hair and brushing his teeth. Despite his strong urge to yawn and stay in bed, Barry ran through the streets of Central City beaming, loving the rush that it gave him. The wind in his face, the feel of his shoes thudding against the roads, the cheers of Central City citizens, unaware that their hero, the Flash, was just one of them. 

 "Shit, it's the Flash!"  Someone observed as he raced by, and just for the hell of it, Barry yelled hello before embarking back on his way to STAR Labs. Normally, when donning the scarlet costume, Barry would stop and pose for a photo or start a conversation, but if he slowed down, people would be able to see his face and not just a red blur. 

Barry slowed down as he entered STAR Labs, practically dancing as he walked in, twirling around to high-five Cisco and hug Iris. 

"So, Caitlin, why did you need me?" Barry asked, tilting his head to the side. 

The brunette swerved around in her swivel chair to face her friend. "Cisco told me to text you that you should wake you up from your snooze." 

"No!" Cisco exclaimed, "I said that I needed him to turn on the news! Did you really make him come all the way here?"

Caitlin groaned, dropping her head into her palm. "Yes...in my defense, you were eating a Twizzler while you said it."

"I heard him," Iris objected. 

Barry shook his head, smiling at his friends' discussion. "No, it's really fine. The sprint here was a much needed wake-up call."

"Anyways," Cisco announced, dimples spreading across his face, "Here's what I wanted you to see." He grabbed a remote off of the table in which Caitlin was sitting at and clicked a few buttons to turn the TV in the top corner of the room on. Pausing, he turned to Iris. "Hey, what's the news channel? I can never remember!"

Iris laughed, the sound as clear and tinkling as a bell. "Jesus, Cisco, it's 11.1." 

"Sorry," whined Cisco, pressing the remote buttons until the screen changes from black to an image of Coast City's sandy coast appears, along with a woman in a blazer talking to a pot-bellied man with an apron on. Below their waists is the caption,  _Coast City Chaos?_

"How are you feeling about the destruction of your pizza parlor?" The woman asked, shoving her microphone in the man's face. 

He shrugged. "I'm upset, and I'd like to get to the bottom of this." 

"Thanks." The woman replied, turning back to the camera. "I'm Jessica Beck, and that was Bob Clarke, owner of Coast City Pizza. More to come as I interview Ferris Aircraft CEO, Carol Ferris." 

Barry let out a loud wail, causing his friends to give him skeptical looks. "Coast City Pizza is destroyed, guys." Barry explained sadly, shaking his head. "It _was_ the best in the west." 

"Sorry for your loss, Bear," Iris smirked, patting his back with mock sympathy. 

Barry rolled his eyes. "Wow, just insult the metahuman, good idea."

"Shh!" Caitlin yelled, turning up the TV volume as the camera panned to Carol Ferris, looking pleasant in a lavender dress and pale navy jacket. 

On the news, Carol smiled confidently at Jessica and pushed back a black curl while the reporter fired question after question to her. "What do you have to say about the reports of a glowing green hero in Coast City? How does he compare to the other resident heroes around the US, such as Central City's Flash, and Star City's Green Arrow?" 

"I believe that Green Lantern-that's what some have been calling him," Carol began confidently, "is a hero. He saved a lot of lives last night. He does need to work on collateral damage, though."

"Great. And what did happen? At least, what do you know?" Jessica prompted as Carol adjusted her microphone. 

"This man appeared at my showcase, asking for me. His head was huge, grotesquely so, and he took control of my security team somehow. Psychically?" Carol shuddered, face scrunching up in distaste. "He looked similar to a man I went out for a business dinner with once. He was apprehended by the Green Lantern, and they fought in the streets. Green Lantern won, of course." 

Jessica nodded, eyebrows raising. "Interesting. Thank you. Anything else you'd like to add?" 

Carol's face lit up. "Yes, actually. A message to the Green Lantern: Thank you, that was amazing." She relaxed and beamed at Jessica, confessing, "That Green Lantern is really freaking hot." 

Cisco crowed as he watched Carol make her mistake, and then turned off the TV. "Ooh shit, that was on air!" He turned to Barry. "So, you gonna go check out the new hero?" 

Barry nodded, smiling broadly. "Yep. Coast City, here I come!"

Iris rolled her eyes skeptically. "This is just like that time you left for Star City and pretended you were an actual detective just so you could find out about the Green Arrow."

"And it worked, didn't it?" Barry replied. He allowed his face to melt into a puppy-dog pout. "You guys will cover for me, won't you?" 

"Fine," Caitlin groaned. "Make sure to pack your suit." 

* * *

 

After throwing some jeans, sweaters, plaid button-ups and assorted t-shirts into his suitcase, along with his signature scarlet suit, Barry picked up his phone to send final goodbyes to his friends. Afterwards, he texted Oliver to inform him of his mini-mission. 

' _going to check out this green lantern character in coast city'_ Barry informed Oliver, or "uhliver queen" as he was listed in his phone.  _  
_

Oliver's reply was brief, but Barry considered that to be because he and Felicity had left Ivy Town to continue their vigilantism. ' _great. keep me updated.'_

Soon after Oliver's text, Felicity texted Barry. ' _Ollie told me the news! have fun, stay safe!!'_

 _'thanks, i will. by the way, iris wants you to visit soon and tell her all about your trip'_ Barry smiled as he replied to the blonde. 

He grabbed his suitcase and headed for the train station. Coast City was all the way in California, and while he could simply run the whole way there, he preferred the scenic route, and the naptime it provided him. Barry's plan was to take the train as far as possible from Central, and run the rest of the way. 

Once on the train, Barry threw his suitcase into the compartment above his seat and settled down for a nice, long nap. 

* * *

 

Barry woke up agitated and itching to run. The woman who had sat down next to him had a baby, and while he adored children, it wailed constantly, rendering him unable to sleep much. Without hesitation, he got off at the next station, bag in hand, and started his cross-country run to Coast City. 

By the time an hour had passed, he approached a worn looking sign that said: _Welcome to Coast City, home of Ferris Airlines_ , depicting slightly cloudy blue skies and a large, smoky grey Ferris Air airplane. Once he got into downtown, he slowed down and decided to go question Carol Ferris about what she had said in the interview. 

Getting into Ferris Air was a bit more complicated than he had planned. Obstacle number one came even before entering the building, because of the small tollbooth in the middle of the road leading up to the facility. Awkwardly, Barry walked up to it and said hello to the attendant, who offered him a look of disgust before asking him why he was there. 

"Oh, I'm with the CCPD," Barry explained, fumbling through his jacket to get his badge and hold it up to the window. "Central, not Coast. I'd like to speak with Carol Ferris." 

"And I'd like a million dollars," the attendant droned. "Proceed." 

"Thanks," Barry beamed, continuing down the road until he reached the tan building. He pulled the door open and walked into the pristine lobby, smiling as he approached the secretary. 

"Hi, I'm Barry Allen, and I'm here with the Central City Police Department." Barry informed the brunet secretary as he held up his badge again. "I'd like to meet with Carol Ferris." 

"Ms. Ferris is currently unavailable," the secretary replied apologetically, tone friendly. "I could page her, but I believe she's in a meeting with one of her pilots. I'll tell you when she's finished. Please, have a seat." 

Barry thanked him and plopped onto a grey couch, pulling his phone out from his pocket and absentmindedly texting Oliver. ' _just entered ferris air, planning on interviewing carol ferris about the green lantern. what should my next move be?'_

' _gather clues and find any footage of this green lantern. then i can have felicity try and match his facial features to find his identity'_ Oliver replied. 

' _ok thanks, ollie.'_ Barry texted back, slipping his phone back inside his pocket as the secretary announced, "Mr. Allen? Ms. Ferris will see you now. Third floor, first office on the right." _  
_

"Thank you," Barry called as he pressed the triangular button pointing upwards and stepped in once it glowed red. The elevator arrived on the third floor quickly, and Barry walked out and smiled at the attractive brunet man in a brown pilot jacket who was leaving Carol's office. The man winked at him when he noticed that Barry was looking, and Barry's eyes dropped to the floor in embarrassment. 

He knocked on the office door, to which Carol called out, "Come in!" Barry did so, jaw dropping as he surveyed the office. It was sleek and minimalistic, all grey and white, with lavender accents. Carol sat at a grey desk with a bouquet of roses on it, and she gestured to him to sit down in the lavender chair across from her.

"Barry Allen, right?" She asked, a soft smile forming on her lips. 

"From the CCPD," Barry confirmed with a nod. "Central City. Not Coast."

Carol raised an eyebrow skeptically, still managing her light smile. "And you came all the way from Central City, why?" 

"Uh..." Barry mumbled, freezing at the question. "We, um...were interested in the Green Lantern...um," 

He was saved by a large man in a light blue shirt that said SECURITY. "Sorry to interrupt, Ms. Ferris," the man said, "But we have a problem. Someone's managed to get past our firewall and into our security cameras, along with all video history."

"No problem, Jerome," Carol replied politely, narrowing her captivating blue eyes at Barry. "We were just finishing up. Jerome, could you escort Mr. Allen to the lobby?" 

"Of course," Jerome answered, nodding at Barry. "If you'll follow me, sir."

* * *

 

Once back to the lobby, Barry sighed and whipped out his phone. ' _felicity?? please tell me that was you hacking ferris air'_

 _'guilty as charged. i'll run diagnostics on the green lantern's face.'_ Felicity replied a moment later. 

Before he could respond to Felicity, Barry was flooded with texts from Caitlin. ' _How was meeting Carol Ferris??'_ The first said. ' _THE Carol Ferris!_ _What was she like??'_ _  
_

Barry laughed at Caitlin's excitement. ' _fangirl at 10:00'_ He answered. ' _she was interesting. pleasant and very intelligent'_

Felicity texted Barry back later. ' _we have our lantern. Hal Jordan, male, age 25, Ferris Air pilot. that mask really doesn't hide much of his face'_

 _'appearance?'_ Barry asked, wondering if he would be easy to find. Ferris Air definitely had its share of pilots, and he doubted that Carol would allow him back in, or at least close to her. Any further investigating would rely on Felicity's hacker skills.  

 ' _dark brown hair, brown eyes, an affinity for pilot jackets? he's usually found in bars'_

 _'can you send a pic?_ ' Barry questioned, biting his lip as he walked outside of the building and stood by the curb. Not that he needed one. The picture Felicity enclosed was one of the same pilot he had encountered earlier- the same, very attractive pilot. ' _thanks. i already met him kinda so i guess that gives me an opportunity to talk. where is he?'_

Felicity's text was informative, if nothing else, although it was a bit late. Just as Barry recieved her message of ' _heading your way in 3...2...1...'_ Hal was already out the door and standing next to Barry with a broad grin painted on his face. 

"You're the one I saw outside Carol's office, right?" He asked. "Barry Allen?" 

Barry stammered. "How'd you know?"

"Once Carol left her meeting with you to check out the tech problem, she kept muttering about the CCPD minding their own damn business and-" At this Hal made his voice go higher in an attempt to match Carol's, "'What was Barry Allen looking for? Why does he care so much about the Green Lantern?'" He laughed as Barry widened his eyes. 

"She really said that?" Barry gasped. "It wasn't me hacking, I didn't mean any harm." 

The pilot rolled his eyes. "Yeah. I did remind her that she called m- _him_  hot on live television, so..." Seeing Barry's curious expression, he changed the topic. "So, what's a Central City dectective doing here in Coast City?"

Barry shrugged. "Um...trying to find out about this Lantern guy, I guess. The Flash is a really big thing back home, so I guess we're all excited about the prospect of a new hero. I mean, I wonder what this guy can do! The Flash has super speed and cellular regeneration, Green Arrow can, um, shoot arrows really well, and Green Lantern seems to be able to create constructs with his ring!" 

"You seem to know a lot about these heroes," Hal observed. 

"Well, it's not very complicated to figure them out," Barry began to ramble, beaming. "I mean, Green Lantern. All his power comes from a ring on his middle finger-classy, right?-and I think it's alien. I mean, the best humans could do to match what comes outta the ring is holographs, which don't have any strength whatsoever." 

Hal laughed, hand on his thigh. "No offense, but you are such a nerd!" 

"Darn right I am," Barry muttered under his breath, and Hal laughed even harder. 

"Ohmygod, how old are you, Barry?" Hal managed in between large breaths. "Thirteen? No, but really. Eighteen?" 

"Twenty-six." 

Barry's answer caused Hal to continue guffawing. "Holy shit, you're a year older than me! Whoa, okay. Sorry."

Barry rolled chocolate brown eyes in response. "It's fine, I get that a lot, trust me."

"Really? What a surprise." Hal smirked, groaning at Barry's second eye roll. "Hey, how about we go get a drink?" 

 "...It's two o'clock." Barry said quickly, searching for an excuse not to go. As much as he would love to go for a drink, he couldn't get drunk. Alcohol had no effect on him whatsoever. "Do you ask strangers out for a drink often?"

Hal tilted his head, raising his eyebrows. "So? Two is a great time for a beer. And no, not unless the stranger is interesting." 

Barry sighed, smiling slightly, and thought of what Oliver would do in a situation like this. Going for a drink would be a good idea strategically, because Hal might get drunk enough to be taken to the Arrow Cave or something to be evaluated. On the other hand, the pilot might get suspicious when Barry didn't seem to be affected by alcohol. Pros: it was a smart plan, and plus, Hal was hot. Cons: Barry and alcohol didn't go together. Barry's choice was obvious. After all, the pros outweighed the cons. 

* * *

 

"So what's with you and Carol Ferris?" Barry asked curiously. 

Hal scoffed, mocha eyes rolling back. "Me and Carol? Please." 

"Come on," Barry pressed. "You like her, don't you? I can tell. The roses on her desk were from you, weren't they?"

The pilot downed another glass of liquor before answering. "How'd you know?" 

"Huh, I dunno," was the sarcastic answer, paired with a grin, "Musta been the 'From Hal' note that gave it away." 

"Damn." Hal muttered, pausing. "It's not like we're dating. Sex is more of our thing." 

The corners of Barry's mouth curved upwards into a broad smile as he exclaimed, "Jesus, Hal! You are so trashy!"

"'s just sex," Hal mumbled. "Sorry that it bothers you, Mr. Committed Relationships," 

Barry bit his lip and looked down awkwardly, taking a sip of his water. Hal had been appalled to find that Barry didn't drink, but didn't bug him too much about it. But before he could retort to Hal's comment, his phone buzzed, revealing a text from Oliver. 

' _how's it going?'_ It said. 

Barry grinned as he typed. ' _good, thanks for asking. it's nice that u care.'_

"Is that your girlfriend?" Hal asked loudly as he watched Barry text. 

Barry turned to look at Hal, hesitation painted all over his face. "Um, no. I don't have a girlfriend, and I'm, um, bi." He groans before Hal can even open his mouth. "I don't know why I just told you that. I mean, Jesus. You're probably one of those guys who thinks reverse racism is real and says 'no homo'" 

He expected a scowl from Hal, and perhaps a middle finger, but instead he recieved a slightly gentler reaction. "That's really what you think of me? Because that's bullshit, okay?" 

"Okay." Barry agreed. "Sorry." His phone buzzed again, a news update informing him that even more children were disappearing from Coast and Central City, which only happened on the first day of a lunar cycle, which it was. He had been gathering data and evidence on the case for a while, and he was pretty sure the culprit was in Coast City. "Good thing I'm here," Barry whispered to himself, checking to make sure that Hal didn't hear him. 

He didn't, of course. Hal was nowhere to be found. 

 _This is going to be so easy,_ Barry thought.  _I'll catch the criminal and confirm that Hal's Green Lantern._

* * *

 It was not as easy as Barry had hoped. After racing around town to follow Green Lantern he finally arrived upon what was a strange crime scene- an old apartment complex. Sure, there was no trace of Green Lantern, who had suddenly disappeared, but--

He was trapped in a large green cylinder, as best as he could tell, and above him floated Hal Jordan, aka Green Lantern.

"Who are you? Tell me!" He ordered. 

Barry hid a smile and vibrated through the construct. "I'm the Flash. I'm here to help," Barry said, making his voice deeper in an attempt not to be recognized. 

"Uh huh, I've heard of you," Hal replied. "But why the hell are you here? Isn't _Central City_ more of your territory?"

"Yeah, I'm from Central, but I'm here to help." Barry repeated, in his normal voice.

"Ha! I knew it!" Hal crowed, swooping around in the air. He pointed his ring in front of him and had it scan the area. Once he deemed it safe, he somehow shed his skin tight costume of green and black, his mask vanishing, leaving him in a pair of jeans and a navy blue henley. "Barry Allen, the Flash!"

Barry tensed, cursing his mistake, but laughed anyways. "Hal Jordan, Green Lantern! I knew it, too." 

"What? How?" Hal gasped, genuinely surprised. 

"That skimpy mask doesn't exactly hide much," Barry replied with a shrug. "And don't tell anyone, okay? I need you to come with me now. The case can wait. Debriefing at Green Arrow's."

Ignoring the last comments, Hal made an insulted face. "You calling me a slut? Because that leather suit of yours is so tight-" 

"Like your suit isn't," Barry retorted. "And did you hear me? We need to get to Starling. Race ya."

"Hell no," Hal smirked, using his ring to put his suit back on. "Carry me? You're faster."

Barry groaned as Hal jumped into his arms. "You're lucky I'm such a nice person."

"Your problem, not mine." Hal beamed as Barry sped them away. 

* * *

 

" _This_  douchebagis Green Lantern?" Oliver asked skeptically as Hal oohed and aahed over the Arrowcave. 

"Trust me, I'm just as disappointed as you!" Hal called, overhearing Barry and Oliver's conversation. "I mean, the second I make my debut as a hero, some asshole copies my name!  _Green_ Arrow my ass, you wannabe!"

Barry laughed, stopping as Oliver rolled his eyes. "He's got guts. I was terrified of you when we first met." 

"I was so jealous of you," Oliver recalled. "You and Felicity had this crazy nerd connection." 

Hal floated over to them, too lazy to walk. "Who's Felicity?" 

At this, a blonde woman made her way into the lair, looking positively radiant in a coral dress that flared out at the skirt. Her electric blue eyes took in Hal, floating around idly in midair, Barry, smiling in his scarlet leather suit, until finally resting on Oliver. 

"I'm Felicity," She replied, waving awkwardly at Hal. "You're Green Lantern, right?" 

Hal bowed slightly before answering. "Call me Hal,"

Felicity beamed at this before addressing Barry. "Your suit! I love the new white accent! Tell Cisco it's genius. Really makes the colors pop."

"That's what he said!" Barry exclaimed in agreement before faltering at Hal's snickering. "Wait, I didn't mean it like that! It's not an innuendo, that's literally what he said." 

Oliver raised his eyebrows at Felicity as if to say,  _Do you see what I have to deal with here?_ before enveloping her in his arms for a warm hug. When finally moving apart from Oliver, Felicity cleared her throat to announce, "Okay, so welcome to the Foundry, Hal!" 

"The Arrowcave sounds cooler," Hal whispered to Barry, bumping his shoulder as he floated by. 

Suddenly, a sleek computer screen lit up to display a news alert about a Central City raiding courtesy of Captain Cold and Heatwave. Felicity groaned and rushed over to the computer, sliding into a swivel chair to find more information. 

"Captain Cold? Heatwave?" Hal scoffed, hovering over Felicity's shoulder to watch. "Aren't they that dude with the ice gun and that pyro?" 

Barry coughed loudly, placing a hand on his chest, offended. "Excuse me, they're world-class criminals. But...yes." 

"This just in, Golden Glider's also in the mix!" Felicity called out, ignoring Hal's mutter of _Golden Glider? What the fuck can they do, fly around on a golden surfboard?_ "Might wanna head over to Central, like, pronto!"

Expectant eyes trained on Barry after this statement- while Hal could fly himself to Central City relatively quickly, Oliver's only mode of transportation was to piggyback on on Barry, or be carried bridal style. 

"Come on!" Barry groaned, reluctantly bracing himself for Oliver's weight as the blond sighed and allowed Barry to wrap his arms around him. "God! You're so heavy!"

"See you guys in Central! Race ya!" Hal exclaimed with a salute, soaring out of the room in a blast of green light.

Barry grinned, giving Hal a headstart before speeding off. 

"Barry is  _so_ gonna win," Felicity said to no one in particular. 

* * *

 As usual, Felicity was correct. Barry arrived at the crime scene first, panting as Oliver thanked him for the free ride, whereas Hal swooped in a moment later, once Leonard Snart had already began his monologue. 

"Ah, the Scarlet Speedster and the  _Green_ Arrow, is it now?" The man began, pacing outside of the Gold City Bank while Mick and Lisa, for lack of a better term, blew things up with their respective heat and gold guns. A smile curled onto his lips as Hal appeared. "A third team member? Good. Now we'll have a fair fight, three on three." 

Lisa turned around to see the trio, practically purring at the sight of the Flash. "Give Cisco a kiss for me!" She stopped smiling as a determined sparkle made way into her eyes and began shooting at the Flash, who easily dodged her shots. 

Leonard groaned. "I've got the Flash, baby sister, you go for the Green Nightlight!"

"I'm the Green Lantern!" Hal shouted, offended, as he made a shield construct to avoid Lisa Snart's sprays of gold. 

Oliver shrugged as he grabbed an arrow and drew it back to shoot. "I've got Heatwave, then!" 

"You'll burn before getting through me," Mick snapped, aiming his gun at Oliver, who quickly launched a grappling hook arrow onto a smooth black bench to slide away and escape from flames licking at the tip of Heatwave's gun. 

Barry ran up and around the surrounding buildings to escape blasts of ice coming from Cold's gun.

"Give up, Flash!" sneered Leonard, giving Mick a devilish grin. "I'll spray the ground!"

With that, the road and sidewalk became slick with a thick layer of ice, and Hal flew down to lift Oliver onto a rooftop before sending an emerald lasso construct at Lisa, effectively tying her up. 

Barry skidded across the ice to punch Leonard and pin him to the ground while Oliver shot a net arrow at Mick, trapping him immediately. 

"Flash!" called Leonard, struggling to get up as Barry tied him up next to Mick and began walking away. "We'll be back, Flash!" As Barry didn't reply and moved on to talk with his teammates, he continued louder. "Don't give me the cold shoulder!"

At this, Barry slowly stopped and turned around, a cheeky grin spreading across his face from ear to ear. "Cool it with the puns, Cold," Barry beamed, ignoring the groans from both criminals and heroes. 

"You really are terrible," Mick muttered as the CCPD approached in black and white cars, sirens going off as blue lights flashed. 

Joe and Cisco got out of one as Oliver and Barry began walking away, Hal hovering above them. 

"Nice job, Flash!" Cisco yelled with a knowing salute. "And Green Arrow and Green Lantern!"

Even from a few feet away with his back turned, Barry could hear the silky tone of Lisa Snart flirting with Cisco, as could Oliver and Hal. 

"Good job, team!" Hal exclaimed. "That was fun. We should do it again sometime, really." 

"We probably will," Oliver replied with a smile. 

Barry nodded happily. "Yeah! Arrow and I have teamed up  _tons_ of times! Like, remember when you and Firestorm came and helped me fight Reverse Flash?"

"That was pretty damn cool," Oliver admitted with a nod of his head. 

Hal rolled his eyes. "Now that we're done being besties and sharing memories, who wants to go for a beer?"

"...How about coffee?" Barry asked, a light in his eyes. "I know a great place just around the corner." 

* * *

 

Oliver had needed to borrow some of Barry's larger clothes, of course, and Barry and Hal had quickly changed into normal outfits consisting of jeans and a henley for Hal and jeans and a red plaid button-up for Barry, but the trio still ended up at CC Jitters, eventually. 

At first they sat in silence, sipping their lattes and espressos while jazz music played around them, courtesy of a band that Jitters let perform inside every so often. The silence ended quickly during Oliver's bathroom break, when Hal slipped his hand into Barry's pocket and grabbed his phone, scrolling through it with ease. 

"What the hell?" Barry exclaimed. "Seriously, Hal?" 

Hal threw back his head and laughed. "I should be asking you the same question. Who doesn't have a password on their phone?" 

"Me," Barry sighed grudgingly. "C'mon, give me my phone back and enjoy the performance." 

"Enjoy? Oh. My. God. This is unbearable!" Hal replied. 

Barry shrugged, eyebrows raised in surprise. "I'd think a 'fly by the seat of your pants' guy like you would love the improvisational nature of jazz."

"Wow, I'm flattered, really. But you're too boring to realize how awful this is," Hal said as Oliver returned from the restroom. "Isn't it terrible, Ollie? I think I'll call you that. Ollie."

"It's not that bad," Oliver answered, taking a long sip of his decaf latte. "Maybe  _you're_ too boring to appreciate jazz, Hal." 

"Shots fired!" Barry whispered. 

Hal puffed out his chest, pretending to be offended. "I am  _not_ boring, screw you guys." 

"Sorry, I'm taken," Oliver replied without skipping a beat before Hal could register what he said. "Felicity and I are really happy together, thanks,"

"So am I," Hal bragged. "Carol Ferris and I are together." 

Barry frowned. "Hal, a relationship isn't just sex, you know that, right?" 

Hal didn't bother to reply; instead, his eyes widened and he snapped his mouth shut as if to prevent himself from saying something rash. Not that it worked, because the second Barry looked bashful about his comment, Hal began to yell. 

"You know what, Mr. Perfect? I'm  _so_ sorry that you don't approve of me and Carol or whatever the hell your problem is, but you're not my father, and it's not my fault that you're single. I don't need relationship advice from someone who's basically a _stranger_ , either. I don't even know why I even-!" 

The pale blush that had dusted Barry's cheeks the second after he had made the comment turned into a bright red inferno, and Barry looked down awkwardly. "Um, I need to go." Barry said quickly, and once he left the cafe, Hal watched from the window as a scarlet streak dashed off. 

"He's right, you know." Oliver said quietly. 

Hal scowled at Oliver. "That's the problem." 

* * *

 Barry ran into his room and dived onto his bed, burying his head in a mountain of plush pillows. His phone buzzed and buzzed, but Barry ignored the incoming texts that he was probably getting and continued to lie on his bed and feel sorry for himself. After a while, Barry grabbed a spoon and a carton of double chocolate chip ice cream from the kitchen and proceeded onto watching re-runs of  _The Big Bang Theory_ on TV.

Then, the doorbell rang, and Barry groaned and reluctantly went to answer it after it rang a few more times, ice cream carton still in his hand. On the other side, to Barry's surprise, was Hal, looking hesitant and awkward for once. 

"Hey, Barry." Hal smiled softly. "I got your address from Ollie, cause you weren't answering my texts." A pause. "I put my number in there when I stole it." 

"Oh," Barry replied quietly, brilliant as ever. 

Hal glanced at the carton in the speedster's hands and smirked. "Ice cream? Doesn't seem very wholesome. Don't we superheroes need to keep in shape?"

"I have cellular regeneration and really fast metabolism," Barry answered, looking down at the carton. 

The two were silent for a while, Hal still hovering on the doorstep, Barry still leaning against the door frame, when suddenly Hal spoke up. "I'm sorry." He said, eyes flickering from Barry's expression and to the ground, and then back again. 

And it was in that moment that Barry realized that he liked Hal Jordan. Hal Jordan, who was rash and reckless and courageous, but could muster up the sincerity to apologize to someone he had practically just met. Hal Jordan, with chocolate eyes that glowed with determination and windswept hair. Hal Jordan, who  _winked_ at him upon their first meeting, and Hal Jordan the hero. 

"I'm sorry too," Barry agreed, "It wasn't right for me to throw in my two cents about your relationship with Carol." 

Hal took a deep breath and shrugged. "You were right." 

"What?"

"You were right," Hal repeated. "I want a real relationship, not just sex," 

"Oh," Barry said, pausing. "Wait, do you, like, want to come in? You should know, I'm not the best at advice so I don't see why you'd want to-well, whatever." He stepped back and gestured at the house with a smile.  

"Sure," Hal replied, and then he nodded, a broad grin making way onto his face. "I would really like that, actually." 

The two walked into the living room,  _The Big Bang Theory_ still on. 

"You can sit," Barry said as he plopped down onto the leathery couch, Hal joining him. He offered a smile, soft and slightly hesitant as his cheeks turned pink. "There's, um, enough ice cream for two. I can you get a spoon, if you want." 

Hal's clear brown eyes brightened. "Yeah, thanks. I mean, that sounds great." 

When Barry returned, Hal leaned into him slightly while he shoveled spoonfuls of ice cream into his mouth. 

Hal waited a moment after Barry leaned back into him to ask through a mouthful of ice cream, "So, is this, like, a date?"

"..." 

"Cause, I would like that," Hal said as Barry buried his face in Hal's shoulder, embarassed. 

Barry looked back up, expression softening. "Me too, Hal. Me too." 

"Yes!" 

 


End file.
